It needs some TLC indeed, but that's a great ol' bike, woody. Are you planning on keeping it geared or what?

A guy I work with rides a Viscount as his winter SS, and while it certainly isn't the lightest, it gets the job done.

I wouldn't convert it. If the RD and FD work, clean it up, re-cable and it should be ready to roll. Then you'll know exactly how your dad felt pedaling that thing around.

I don't think anyone referred to a bike as a "commuter" in the 70s.

Not the greatest pic, but here's my wife's '78 Schwinn Le Tour SS.http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/i...es/Photo35.jpg

Nothin' special, but it works for her.

EDIT: Wow, that really is a crappy picture. I'll have to get it outside for some legitimate photos.

I ride a Letour and it's still alive too! Just did the brake pads, cables and housings and it feels so much better!!!!

Yep, I redid the cables, housing, brakepads, and it's now rocking a cheap 700c wheelset as well, which allows for a lot more tire options. It's a great bike for her needs.

re: 700c wheelset ...

Hmm ... interesting. Someone else suggested I swap my hybrid's wheels onto that old 10-speed but I wasn't sure about the compatibility. Was it a straight swap or did you have to tweak anything?

are your frames OK
 

I just aquired a bike which has a crack in the headtube - do you guys know how that can be fixed?:cry:

If steel weld it. If aluminum junk it.

As said above, it might be able to be fixed if it's steel, but probably not with aluminum. Howver, it would probably cost more to fix than the bike is worth. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

I am running 700s on my old 12 speed (replaced the 27's). I had to lower the brake pads about 3 mm. Other than that, it works just fine. Oh, and the hubs spacing is a little wider (maybe 2mm on each side) but because the frame and fork are steel, I just bend them out to fit with no problem.

Almost a straight swap on the Le Tour. Had to lower the front brake pads, as Sawtooth mentioned, and then in back I had to rig a drop bolt-type setup a la Sheldon in order to reach the rim.

My World is a 27" frame with 700s as well, but I built that from the ground up and just got Tektro's R556 longreach sidepulls, which are awesome.

That saddle....ouch!!!

It's a Brooks. They feel right that way. Don't ask me why.

Brooks saddles really are saddles made of 100% thick leather to "suspend" your butt in a sling type
of seat. As such the leather will take time to soften, stretch, and form to your butt for that oh so
sweet Brooks ride. Everybody but an iron butt will have to "break in" a new Brooks.

Those who own Brooks long term swear by them for very good reasons. It' YOUR saddle that will
give you the ride you set in it until it's worn out. Not a bad deal when you figure a Brooks could
easily (with care) last as long as you do. :thumb:

Yeah, I'm not going to change anything on it. Besides cables, tires, and brake pads, this bike is all original, so I'm planning on keeping it that way :thumb:

And I know what you mean about the weight on this thing! It's a very sturdy solid steel bike! :)

I picked this up from my dad who wanted me to sell it for him. I've done all of the work on it myself and I only have a few things left on my list to do. I'll be riding this thing to school as soon as I'm finished with it... http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...=1#post8449232


http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d2...r/IMG_3653.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d2...r/IMG_3654.jpg

I have posted this old girl all over now but it is a great fit for this thread.
1982 Peugeot P8. The frame is heavy but the geometry is really nice for me. I have replaced everything but the frame/fork, headset, seatpost (an impossible to find 22.0) and bb. The brakes absolutely HAD to go. Replaced them with Tektro 536's and she stops on a dime now.

Currently a 1X9 but she has served as a fixed gear and single speed as well. I am contemplating a triple now and some offroading. She is a lot of fun to ride and serves as a daily commuter (as long as my Major Jake does not see me sneak out with her). It is more a bigomy thing than a mistress thing...I guess ;). They are learning to share the attention.

Her limitation is in the tire size. Max size with uncut fenders is 28. She will run 32's and up to 35's with the right brakes. Since adding the new brakes, I cannot mount the Nokian 106's :( . This is a fair trade, imo, since I would rather be able to stop.

The pic shows bontrager race lites but she usually is fitted with ultegra/open pros and she seems to like them best. I am fitting fenders to her now and will update when I get that job done.

Very anachronistic. I love it.

Well thanks! Now that I have looked up "anachronistic", I would have to agree. :) . I guess it is just too much fun to experiment with her.

That looks great. Either you have done a lot of work on it or your dad did not ride it much.

Thanks, its a combination of both. My dad says the bike has approx. 200 miles on it (in 30 years :roflmao2: ). Its slowly but surely getting to where I want it.

I rode my 39 year-old non-clunker to work today to make sure it's ready to ride from north Texas to south Texas next week.

Finished my first full week of commuting to the train on my $40 Panasonic. Nothing negative to report. I'm even going to leave it with the saftey levers on!

Glad to hear it. You have more self control than I do. All of my bikes work fine but I can't seem to resist the urge to make them "better".